NASA's Psyche spacecraft is set to launch on October 5 to October 12 aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket, aiming to explore a unique metal-rich asteroid between Mars and Jupiter.
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Metal-rich asteroid
The 280-km-wide Psyche asteroid, believed to be an exposed nickel-iron core of an early planet, could provide insights into Earth's formation.
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Mission
For the first time, the mission will explore a 'new type of world' that's made of metal and not of rock and ice, notes NASA.
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Experiment
The mission will also host NASA's Deep Space Optical Communications experiment, testing high-bandwidth optical communications back to Earth.
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Launch delay
Initially scheduled to launch last year, the mission faced delays due to issues with the spacecraft's flight software. The mission will reach its target in 2029.